Latch guide for dredge buckets



Feb. 28, 1928. v l 660 598 E. E. CRANE LATCHGUIDE FOR DREDGE BUCKETS Filed oct. 2. 1925 1u hun Patented Feb. 28, i928o ERNEST Enc-ian CRANE, or "MiN'NEaroL'I-s, MiNNEsoTa, kessIeNor-r E Tof-AMERICAN MANGANESE STEEL COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLrNorsyi-i' CCRPOEATIQNOEM'AINE. y

LATCH GUIDE Eon n EEnGE -BUCKETSLl f Application filedl October 2, 1925. vSerial 1Mo-.59,9971 A,

This invention relates toda guide for `the latch which holds in closed position the Vsvvingingdoor of a dredge kbucket or other` structure requiring to be latched in situations where latching mechanism is liablerto encounter destructive iniiuences; and the linvention has for its object to provide a latchingmechanism in which the latch plate or keeper that receives-the bolt will bepro? tected from the impact of vobjects past which it is moving during-operation of the bucket. vThe invention proceedsv upon the principle of providing a deiiecting. guard or shoe upon thehinging member or door in a position which will bring the guard into protecting relationto the keeperwhen the hing- `ingmember is latched, for instance, by 'embodyingthe guard inthe structure of-that invention involves the use of a pair of Wings `or buffers on opposite sides of the keeper, constructed with deflecting surfaces guarding approach to the keeper from the sides and preferably also from lthe rear, ysaid surfaces being provided, for'the sake of light- Vvness of construction, by iianges upstan'ding from the attaching base of the latch bar guide, but being forwardly offset in the .30

plane of the hinging member, in order that the guard may projecton opposite vsides of` the keeper; .and these guarding surfaces preferablyV increase in altitude, measured from the base of the guide,as they approach the keeper; The preferred embodiment of y the invention further involves a disposi-tion of the -upstanding flanges which `lends strength to the structure without 'involving undue weight, as, forinstance, by arching' the foremost guard .walls against lateral l forces; also in providingfa plurality of laterally extendingV guard flanges, spaced apart by a connecting inclinedguard iiangc:` but it is to be understood that Whilext-he advantages of the invention are realized inthe fullest measure-from the employment of all ofthese details, the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment shown,v In the accompanying drawings Figure lfis a perspective view of a know Y type of dredging dipper onV whichalatch guide embodying the present invention, is

` mounted. d v t Figure 2 is a front elevationro'f a latch har guide `embodying the invention, j j.

position means cfa latch bar -8 "sliding in lguidesl and 1() mounted on the swingdoorv and entering its "free forward end 11V into the latch platel or keeper 12.4 As thus fardescribed, the parts may be of any approved known construction.

"In implements of the kind-describeddthe keeper 12 is -unavoidably located in a position'which causes itrto encounter .serious wear and tear :when the implement `is in use, for instance, that :resulting fromdragging over broken rock, catching the rails in clean ing ,up spillage onkdump car tracks,` casting the dipper ahead'in moving the dredge upto its working, etc.; and as a" consequence the keeper must'bereplaced at intervalsatconsiderable replacement cost.` The present invention ,materially enlarges the life'Vof-the keeper. 12rby providing upon the hinging doorr a, guard inl position to receive the impact of objects lyingv in the path of the keeper 12, and-this' guard isgfor the sakeof econvomy,incorporated ,in the same fitting with the latch'bar guided@ so; that one and the.

lSii

same attaching base 14 will. serve for-both the.v guidefand the .-gua'rd. Moreover, .the guardie especially designed with a view to better yadaptingit to resist the yextreme influences-y which bear upon it in the manipulation `of the implement, without involving undue-weight or mass of material. Tothis` end, the guard comprises` a pair of wings or buffers 13, each constructed with deiiecting surfaces inclining in the directionzof. movement of the implement relatively to the obstructions which it encounters, for' instance,

inclined surfaces 15 yand 16 vat the respective sides "ofjthe guardjwhich assume positions lateral to the keeper 12 vwhenrthe door'is ico , closed` and the inclined'surfaces 17 which ine l cline forwardly towardthe keeper g and these extending iianges 15a and 16a and forwardly extending a'nges, 1"(a on either'side of the keeper` collectively' define what Ais n in eflect a deflectin'g plane inclining from the rear outer 1 corner of the yguard laterally and forwardly inward to an vapex which 4'approrrimates the upstanding dimension of the keeper .1.2, so that the lateral movements of the implement or p grearward VV:dragging movements of the same will result in the :implement Lbeing Fde- Hected over obstructions'without striking the keeper. M oreover, inv its `firent zaspect, ,as shown in Figure 2, the guard presents a pair ofi substantial forward buffeting surfaces vafforded by the upstanding flanges 16a, which are strongly braced by the rearwardly extending flanges 17,'a1id these bufleting sur-l Y 'faces A:being presented "inadvance of the plane Y ward impactthat might votherwise *beexerted I of the keeper 12 (the latter being received in the Arecess-18 of fthe guardi) 'receive for- "keeperin that direction. p

As `shown `inFigure 4:, the buffeti-ng suragainst the keeper, and thus protect the 'ffaces 156, aiorded by vthe -uepstanding fflanges of -that designation, 'curve rearwardly, @thus yadapting them to 1serve las deilecting surfaces,VV

and besides presenting an arched andconsequ'ently stronger vstructrrre to receive 'the :forces which thegua-rd encounters 1n that .direction vfCloii'tinu'ance of the rear llaiter- Y during the imovem'entjof the implementfwlien' in'use. c

'2. A 4keeper guard for mounting Vupon/excavating implements having swinging doors and Ilatches'; said guard fbeing adapted lfor attachment :to Ethe member :of the .implement other'than fthe one which 'carri'esthe ikeeper .and being 2constrificted with a recess 'that re- Y ceives `the keeper 4when fthe y'door yils/closedV and a pair :of buiiers in position yto stand lon leitherjsideof #the recess and adjacent vtothe "3.' A keeper guardtor excavating imple-V ments shaving 'latclied doors, said guard com- @rising a pai-r fof wings and adapted "to 'be mounted Vfupon fthe door ott the implement in position to stand 'adj a'cent to the keeper when the door is `closed; l said wings being spaced :apart to :receive the keeper fbetween fthein and extending Vco the "fixed plane `of fthe `keeper.

y 4. A keeper guard for "excavating Limple-l 'zments hayingjdoors with' `latch bolts 'and keepers,`said guard having an attaching base 4adapted for mounting it iipon 'the *implement v'adjacent to ithe keeper and "being constructed with ,pair of wings spaced apart toadmit y the keeper between them andhaving bufting surfaces rearwardly inclined from the ofthe keeper. v l

-5. A keeper guard, comprising an .attachplane V ing "base -and a pair of buffers on said base f zpositioncd 4to provide a keeper receiving space between them; each buffer `comprising *front and rear laterally extending flanges upstandiiig from the base. Y l y 6. A keeper guard, comprising an attaching base and a pair of buffers on said base positioned `to provide a keeper Vreceivingf space betweeirtheiii; each buffer comprising `front and rear laterally extending `flanges upstanding 'fromthe plane ofthe base.; said f jl'anges fhaving outer' edges 'inclinedV 'away v from the yplane of the base` and toward t-lie position of the outer end "of the keeper which they are to protect.

7. A 'keeper Guard, comprising an ia'ttacliing rbase and-a pair of'builers on slaidfbase positioned to provide akeeper receivingspaee 'between them; each buffer' comprising front 'and rear y laterally extending flan-gesupstanding Vfrom the plane of the vbase; theV 4forward laterally extending Vflanges @if :the

buffers being diverted in tliefdirection lof the plane of the base and rearwardly from the `plane of 'the keeper when insaid receiving space.

ing 'base and a pair of buifers on said'-base 'keeper guard, 4comprising Van attahf positioned to provideY a *keeper ,receiving space between them; .each buffer comprising iront and rear laterally lextending fianges upstanding from the :plane v'ofthe base; :the forward laterally extending flanges bein-g curvedin the direction of the plane koi? 'the base and rearwardly fromthe keeper receiving space and developing arched 'frontwalls presented ,against` impact'in' va `direc'tiion .transverse to the plane olf ,the keeper.

- 9. combined latch bolt vguide and keeper guard, comprising'an attaching base. abolt ,guide on said base, anda pair of V:buiers upstanding from the plane of ysaid 'baseon either side of and perpendicularly lto 'the movementof the. bolt in said guide; said vbuffers comprising laterally extending iianges yintegral with said guide and base;

Yi I

1'0. AV combined .latch 'bolt `guide andfkeep-V er guard, comprising an attaching'base` a bolt guide defining bolt movement in Aa :plane parallel with said base, and a paiiir -Of bnifers upstanding from .the'plane of said .base on either sideiof saidjguide .said 'buffers comprising `front andrear laterally extending flanges upstanding from said base, some vof saidrianges Vbeing integral withhrand .braced bythe guide. Y

11. A combined latch bar guide Qand'keepi l .erguard, comprising an attaching base. a guide upstanding from the plane of andde-` lining a lpath of bolt movement parallel im.

with said base, laterally extendin flanges integral with said guide an and laterally extending front flanges all upf standing from the plane of said base, andl forwardly lextending flanges uniting the front flanges with the rear flanges.

12. In combination with the body member and the door member of an excavating implement of substantially thecharacter described, a bolt mounted on one of said members', a keeper mounted'on the other thereof, and a keeper guard mounted upon the vmember which carries the kbolt in position to Areceive impact of objects in the path of the keeper during the movement of the implement when in use; said keeper having a rek cess which receives the keeper' at the closing of the door and permits the guardto stand on either side of the keeper. v

13. In combination with the body mem- Ythe free end of the keeper.

ber andthe door member of anl excavating implement of substantially the character described, a bolt mounted on'one of'said mem-l vaol being constructed with a pair of Wmgs upi standing from the attaching base, said Wings being spaced apart to admit the keeper be tween them at th-e closing ofthe door andV having deflecting surfaces inclined toward Signed at Minneapolis, day Aof August, 1925. f

'ERNEST EDGAR CRANE.

Minn., this 31st 

